Chungyang cream gnocchi and window seats at Plate Dunsan, Daejeon

Here's my review of Plate Dunsan Branch, a pasta spot in Daejeon. What got me excited was that they actually make their pasta with fresh dough, not dried noodles.

Location and parking

Plate Dunsan Branch is on the 2nd floor. Parking is one spot per table, with 2 hours free in the basement lot.

• 34 Dunsan-ro 31beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea, 2nd floor
• 11:00-21:30

Atmosphere with floor-to-ceiling windows

The huge window you see the moment you walk in sets such a great mood. Soft natural light pours in, and it honestly felt like a perfect spot for a date.

The tables are clean and set up in a fairly upscale way.

What we ordered

I started looking at the menu, and unfortunately the lobster shrimp bisque rosé pizza was sold out that day, so I ordered the fire-grilled chapsteak pizza instead.

We also ordered two of the good-value pasta sets, plus the chungyang vongole cream gnocchi and the creamy rosé pasta.

Choosing from 12 types of fresh noodles

The noodles are fresh dough, and you can pick the type to suit your taste. With as many as 12 options, it was hard to decide, so I went with the recommended pick.

Salad and bread that come with the pasta set

Ordering the pasta set, the salad came out first. It had a good variety of vegetables and just the right amount of sauce, making it a nice appetizer.

The bread was warmed up quickly for us, so it was soft, and the soup itself was

smooth enough to be the perfect thing to settle your stomach.

The bread was delicious on its own and really soft.

Spreading a bit of the whipped cream they gave us on top made it even better.

Squid ink vongole pasta

Next came the vongole pasta made with squid ink noodles. It had not just clams but scallops on top too. The slightly spicy cheongyang peppers on top really cut through the richness of the pasta.

Making the pasta dough with squid ink gave it a color that felt really distinctive. They twirled the freshly made pasta onto the plate, and it was still steaming, so it was lovely to eat warm.

Creamy rosé pasta

Next is the creamy rosé pasta. I got recommended the slightly flat noodle, so I ordered that. The fresh pasta noodles are all quite different from each other, which made it visually interesting too.

Twirling it up and taking a bite, the soft fresh pasta noodles were really delicious,

and the creamy sauce paired perfectly with it. It had a completely different flavor from the vongole, so between the two you get plenty of variety without getting tired of it.

The chungyang cream gnocchi — my favorite

Next is the chungyang cream gnocchi. You could see jalapeños on top along with seafood, and the crispy round gnocchi came with plenty of sauce too. The slightly spicy chungyang sauce really wrapped around the rich gnocchi,

so I could eat it without any greasiness at all. Personally, I thought the chungyang gnocchi was the best dish of the whole meal.

Fire-grilled chapsteak pizza

Next up is the fire-grilled chapsteak pizza. The dough itself didn't feel like an ordinary pizza dough. The cheese stretched beautifully just from looking at it, and with arugula and fresh tomatoes piled on top, I could tell right away this place knows how to make a good pizza.

There were big chunks of chapsteak on top, and the combination with the fresh arugula and tangy tomatoes was really great.

The chapsteak itself was cut into big chunks, and eating it piled on top of the pizza was amazing.

The very last section of the pizza had a cheese crust,

and dipping it into the sauce they gave us made it even more delicious.

Who this place suits

Plate Dunsan Branch is a great pasta spot in Daejeon — the fresh pasta made all the dishes taste good overall, and even the pizza kept its flavor right to the last bite. Above all, with that floor-to-ceiling window atmosphere, it's a perfect spot for a date, and I'd recommend it for a blind date or a family gathering too.